Since I attended the conference to hear more about the compensation model, I honestly was very disappointed to learn it’s only 60% to start, that over time can grow to 110%, but according to a chart I was shown, that increase to the top compensation would realistically take 2 ½ to 3 years, minimum, with graduated 5% commission increases usually every 2 or 3 months, however even that wasn't guaranteed. I was really surprised to hear more of that explanation, that if during that commission graduation period, an agent didn't achieve the targeted volume and other qualification factors, they would lose credit for the month(s) completed and start back at square one, for another 2 or 3 months -- that doesn’t seem either equitable or even close to being fair to adequately compensate someone for their efforts. At least the month or months they qualified could be carried over, like for a 2 month qualification example -- qualify in month 1, but not month 2; and then qualify in month 3 to earn the commission level increase by qualifying in 2 of the 3 months. Additionally, in the Corporate Overview it was mentioned that at the first true level of management where the agent is granted full and irrevocable ownership of their agency -- to be a family legacy or to do with as they please -- it was expected that agent manager would still be in the field with their team producing. That appears for the most part to be the exception and not the norm; and it was clear there are many who have been granted agency ownership, stopped producing on a consistent and regular basis, focus more on recruiting and hiring new people to replace so many who appear to leave regularly, and basically earn a living off of those in their down-line. This appears to be even more prevalent at the highest levels where managers mostly manage, but not train; and have a lot of free time while earning handsomely on their down-line agents’ and lower level managers’ commissions “spread” and additionally with what was described as equity bonuses -- limited to some of those in the 110% commission category. All of that better explained why the commission starts so low and agents most often have lengthy periods before they start earning decent incomes and six-figures, having to buy leads, recommended weekly, that are the source of carrier policy contracts issued and resulting commissions. Additionally, there was a lot of talk about SFG's revenue growth the past 9 years and how in 2017 it exceeded $70MM, but upon further off-line discussions and gathering of real numbers, that revenue amount apparently represents application contracts submitted to carriers, that may or may not have been approved and issued, but there was no talk of actual real revenue attained. Finally, I know from the limited time I worked in a support position the insurance industry is in the Top 5 Wealth Industries in the country, so whatever SFG is actually earning it's definitely in the millions of dollars. However, it was very hard to see and realize that, where for all of the sessions, the only refreshments made available to those of us paying over $100 to attend -- Thursday and Friday from 8:00 AM to well beyond 6:30-7:00 PM with only short breaks -- were water from top loading coolers dispensed in disposable cone paper cups. The attendance was well over 3,000 people, so also there was no way for many who maybe hadn't had breakfast to get lunch in the Gaylord complex with its limited restaurant capacity on the lower floors in the building; and then return in time to participate in the regular human stampede to get a decent unreserved seat for the many sessions -- general and breakout ones. Finally, in order for people to be attentive, focused and refreshed, it's just common sense that at an event like that conference, there maybe should have been something nutritional and/or refreshing readily available, at all times, to help people get through the rest of the day while being immersed in so much positive and valuable information from all, extremely important to be retained, including invited guests and entertainers who spoke on stage; and that was an area where SFG clearly dropped the ball and could have used some of the extra money paid to those at the top and made available even something as minimal as a box lunch for those who weren't allowed to attend or weren't invited to the SFG scheduled lunch event/meeting with the owners -- sure there could have been something arranged for all for lunch in that huge facility, similar to the finale dinner Friday night where all attendees were present.
